🏠 Would You Commute an Hour to Afford a Home?

Real Estate Issue #27 -Why some homes fly while others sit — plus open houses, a home services spotlight, and a first-time buyer question.

14 Mar

🐝 Welcome to this week’s Home Sweet Buzz Real Estate Edition!

Today we’re breaking down why some homes are flying off the market while others sit, highlighting a local cleaning company that’s winning hearts across the community, sharing open houses and listings, and answering a great question from first-time buyers about whether a long commute is worth it.

⭐️ Meet With Heart Housekeeping — and check out their Spring Cleaning Special.
🙌 4 hours of cleaning for just $189!

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In this Issue . . .

📊 Local Market Snapshot: Why Some Homes Fly While Others Sit

🏠 Home Services Spotlight: 🩷 With Heart Housekeeping - A Local Cleaning Company That Truly Lives Up to Its Name

💬 Ask a Realtor:
Question of the week: We’re first-time buyers with a max budget of $300,000 and not much for a down payment. Should we consider buying a home that’s almost an hour commute each way for both of us?"

🎥 New Video Message from our Sponsor - Todd Porter: "Home Inspections
Pass or Fail? "

📣 🐝 The Bountiful Buzz VIP PASS is LIVE — and it’s totally FREE!

💛 Readers Poll - What interests you most when it comes to Real Estate?

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Brought to byTodd Porter, SURE Synergy United Real Estate Group

🏡 Why Some Homes Fly While Others Sit

Bountiful friends ☀️ if you’ve been watching the market and thinking, “Wait… is it slowing down or not?” you’re not crazy. The numbers look a little mixed at first.

But here’s what’s really going on.

Bountiful didn’t slow down — it sorted itself out.

Back in early January, Bountiful had 74 homes for sale and just 18 under contract. Fast forward to March 12 and the picture has flipped. Active listings dropped to 53 homes, while 49 homes are now under contract.

That’s a big shift in market feel.

Homes are absolutely moving. What’s happening is this: the stronger listings are getting picked off quickly, while the weaker ones are sitting longer.

That’s why days on market for active homes is climbing even while pending activity is rising. It’s not a frozen market.

It’s a filtering market.

Right now, Bountiful has two lanes.

The fast lane is for homes that come out looking sharp, priced well, and easy for buyers to say yes to.
The slow lane is where homes sit when the price feels off or the presentation misses the moment.

Buyers are still showing up — they’re just not showing up for everything.

Another interesting piece of the data is pricing. The average active list price in Bountiful sits around $764,000, but the median list price is closer to $514,000. That gap is mostly created by a smaller number of higher-end homes pulling the average upward.

In reality, much of the activity right now is still clustering in the mid-$500,000 range, where buyers continue to move when a home is priced and positioned correctly.

And even with some softening in certain price points, Bountiful continues to hold a premium position within Davis County, with stronger price-per-square-foot numbers than several neighboring cities.

So what does all this mean?

The market is alive — but it’s disciplined.

Buyers are active. Inventory has tightened since January. But pricing power isn’t unlimited, and preparation matters more than ever.

For sellers, that means pricing and presentation still win.

For buyers, it means opportunity still exists — but the best homes aren’t sitting around forever.

If you’re wondering where your home would land in today’s market, that’s the conversation to have now.

📞 Call or text Todd Porter (“Utah Todd”) at 801-755-1882
📍 For the daily blog: SUREUtah.com

If for any reason, property tax concerns, estate planning, wealth evaluation, you are wondering what the present value of your home; scan this QR code or go to https://sureut.com/epicreport and we will promptly provide you with our detailed professionally engineered EPIC Report:

✨ A Local Cleaning Company That
Truly Lives Up to Its Name

If a clean, sparkling home makes life feel just a little easier, With Heart Housekeeping is a local company bringing that feeling to homes across Bountiful and beyond.

Founded by Kat Keddington, With Heart Housekeeping has been serving Davis and Salt Lake County residents for nearly four years with a simple mission: shine homes with heart. What began as an unexpected opportunity quickly grew into a thriving local business built on care, trust, and attention to detail.

Kat’s journey into housekeeping started while she was running a social media marketing agency. After helping a housekeeping company grow from a team of one to ten, the owner faced unexpected life challenges and planned to close the business. Kat felt a strong nudge to step in, purchase the client list, and continue the work. What she discovered was a passion for creating beautiful, clean spaces and building meaningful relationships with both clients and her team.

Today, With Heart Housekeeping continues to grow as more homeowners discover the difference of a cleaning service that truly listens to their needs.

✨ What Makes Them Special

With Heart Housekeeping focuses on what clients actually want — not just a standard checklist. Their team works carefully and efficiently to leave every home shining while still respecting their clients’ time.

They also use high-quality, non-toxic cleaning products that are safe for families, pets, and their cleaning team.

And speaking of pets — they’re big fans.

Unlike many cleaning companies, With Heart Housekeeping does not charge extra for homes with pets, happily cleaning up after furry family members as part of the service.

Their attention to detail, thoughtful touch, and pride in their work shines through in every home they clean.

🧽 New Services & Spring Special

With Heart Housekeeping is now offering shower and grout detailing, perfect for tackling dingy tile or stubborn buildup and restoring bathrooms to a fresh, like-new shine.

They’re also celebrating the season with a Spring Cleaning Special — 4 hours of cleaning for just $189, making it the perfect time to refresh your home and welcome the new season with a fresh start.

❤️ A Heart for the Community

Outside of work, Kat is deeply involved in the local community. She has coached the South Davis Water Polo Team for more than seven years, spending countless hours at the rec center pool helping young athletes grow not only in the sport but as individuals.

It’s that same spirit of care and dedication that carries over into her business.

📍 Serving Davis & Salt Lake Counties

🩷 With Heart Housekeeping proudly serves homes throughout Davis and Salt Lake County.

If your home could use a little extra sparkle — or your shower tile needs a serious refresh — their team would love to help.

📞 Call or Text: 801-309-0938
📍 Based in Bountiful
👍 Follow them on Facebook to learn more and see their work.

💬 Real Estate Q & A

💬 Jen asked: "I’m looking to buy a home along the Wasatch Front, and the farther I go from central Salt Lake City, the more home I can afford. We’re first-time buyers with a max budget of $300,000 and not much for a down payment. Should we consider buying a home that’s almost an hour commute each way for both of us?"

Todd’s Answer:

Jen, that’s a really smart question, and I wouldn’t make this decision based on house size alone.

At your budget, it’s true that the farther you move away from central Salt Lake City, the more home you can usually afford. But an hour commute each way for both of you can get expensive in ways that don’t show up in the mortgage payment.

When comparing options, look at the total lifestyle cost, not just the purchase price. That includes:

  • The mortgage payment

  • Taxes, insurance, and HOA (if applicable)

  • Gas, maintenance, and wear on your vehicles

  • The impact that commute will have on your daily life

Unless one or both of you work hybrid or the long commute would only be temporary, I’d be cautious about choosing a home that requires that kind of drive every day. A bigger house isn’t always the better deal if it makes your monthly life feel tight and exhausting.

A good next step would be to compare a smaller condo or townhome closer in versus a larger home farther out and run the true monthly numbers side by side. Also check into first-time buyer or down payment assistance programs, which may expand your options.

And before committing to a long commute, try driving that route during rush hour a few times and ask yourselves honestly:
"Could we do this five days a week for the next 3–5 years?"

For many first-time buyers, the best choice isn’t the biggest house — it’s the one that keeps the payment comfortable and your lifestyle balanced.

If you’d like help comparing options, feel free to reach out.

📞 Todd Porter (“Utah Todd”) – 801-755-1882

Got a Real Estate question?
👉 Submit a question for next week’s edition 
Call me at 801-755-1882, and let’s build your
custom plan to win in this market.

"Home Inspections
Pass or Fail? "

👇 Click pic below to hear Todd’s Message!
(Message changes each week!)
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📱Call/Text: 801-755-1882
📧 Email: [email protected]

Thanks for buzzing with us in this week’s Home Sweet Buzz!

Have an AMAZING weekend!

— Brenda 🐝

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